


A Neal Caffrey Original

by Floris_Oren



Category: White Collar
Genre: Art, F/M, Neal has an original painting style, Peter is wrong, Secret Ideinties, and then set straight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-29 07:13:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5119688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Floris_Oren/pseuds/Floris_Oren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal earns an Art Exhibit for the soul reason of showing Peter that people can/do appreciate his art talent, without telling Peter. Things are puzzled out. Hearts are changed and basically this is not porn. lol.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Neal Caffrey Original

**Author's Note:**

> I've read in several fan fics that Peter thinks Neal can't use his art talent for anything but forgery's. Now.I haven't seen the whole series so I don't know how canon that is or not. For all I know it could be. So this could be AU. If I am wrong someone please tell me so I can say this is an AU fic. lol. Anyway. Enjoy.

  
It's a subtle thing; really. Neal understands that Peter has only ever seen his talent be put to forgery's. He has never seen a Neal Caffrey Original, and probably wouldn't know one even if he walked by it. It happened on a weekend really. Neal remembers. Peter and Elizabeth had taken a date to a new Art Exhibit well outside of Neal's radius, and Elizabeth felt it fit Neal so much that she practically ordered Peter to take him the very next weekend.

Neal acted excited all that week, did everything Peter told him and was sad when Peter threatened to not take him. But, in the end, Neal got to visit his very own Art. Oh, it wasn't under his real name. Ryder Callum had a flair that Peter never knew Neal owned. His work wasn't that of the Masters, which Neal could duplicate in his sleep, it was more stranger colors and shadow blended to suggest shapes and stories to those looking at it. Nothing said that Neal would enjoy this kind of art, but everything yelled that this is a place for Neal.

Peter and Neal made their rounds. Neal saw Mozzie in passing but they didn't stop to speak. And Peter made no indication that he'd seen the bald man. And so, as far as Neal is concerned his little enterprise is safe. They stop for coffee on the way home. Peter drops Neal off at his place with June and then goes to have a nice dinner with Elizabeth.

It doesn't occur to Peter, that there is something very familiar about the painting at the exhibit that he had missed on his first time seeing it. Distracted by Elizabeth and the second time by Neal's chatter. About everything but the paintings, though he'd said some rather nice things about the art as well and had enjoyed the outing.

"Neal." Peter growled into the dark, finally realizing what'd he'd seen these past two weekends.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, not at all upset that her husband was thinking about the younger conman.

"He painted those things, at the exhibit." Peter replied.

"Of course he did." Elizabeth agreed. "After you showed me his secret way of signing his work I kept looking. I saw it just as you'd shown it to me." she said. Coming to rest her head on his chest.

"But how...."

"Peter...." Elizabeth chuckled. "He probably got tired of you putting his art skills down. He's a great artist. But whenever it comes up all you say is horrid stuff." she explained. "He probably got tired of it and even if it's under a different name; it's very popular. You should read the reviews. He's the newest up and coming artist New York has seen in quite some time."

"El..."

"Peter..." same disparaging tone Peter had used.

"Okay."

"Okay what?"

"I'll tell him he isn't all bluster." Peter sighs.

"Thank you. You know, a kind word every now and again wouldn't hurt him. Or you. Maybe you'd get him to shut up about it for once. Sometimes people say stuff about themselves because they're desperate for people to believe it, if other people believe it than they will believe it also. Neal knows he's a great artist, he knows he's a great forger. And I think he's been doing an admirable job putting up with you putting his art skills down. Even though he saved you a time or two with said skills." Elizabeth grinned into Peter's chest.

"What did you do?" Peter asked.

"I bought a couple paintings from the exhibit, you know, starving artists and whatever. I bought one that'd go great in your office at work. I expect you to take it and hang it up. It can be your and Neal's secret." Elizabeth said.

"You think you're so cute." Peter sighed, already knowing he'd be doing exactly what she told him.

"I am adorable." Elizabeth corrected.

~*~

Neal spends the night painting. The New piece is a commission and pays a lot and Mozzie sits in a chair, sipping wine and watching Neal paint. It had taken a while for Neal to get used to an audience but Mozz and Kate never said a thing while he painted. He appreciated that. He isn't entirely certain how this one is going to turn out. There are reds and pinks along with dark ink. He thinks it may be a woman reading under a tree. But that's what he see's. He isn't certain what other's see.

He steps back to look, he cocks his head. He raises the paintbrush. Lowers it.

"Is it finished?" Mozz asks from his chair.

"Maybe..." Neal mutters.

"Suit knows." Mozz replied.

"What do you mean, what does Peter know?" Neal asked.

"Mrs. Suit bought two paintings, one would go perfect in Suits office." Mozz replied.

"Coincidence." Neal muttered.

"Suit yourself but I'm telling you. He knows." Mozz said.

"As long as he doesn't ruin Ryder Callum, than I don't care." Neal replied.

"Why'd you start Callum in the first place?" Mozz asked.

"I can paint. Sure I can duplicate the Masters, but my original style isn't something to be laughed at. I wanted to know that people would appreciate my style. Without my name being attached to it. You know how many people would like to have a painting done by me? People who have followed my career but I didn't want that. I want people off the street to go into that exhibit, see my work, and buy it because it speaks to them." Neal turns.

"Is it done?" Mozz asked again.

"Yes." Neal nodded. "On second thought it is."

"He'll still make comments." Mozz pointed out.

"Sure, but I'll have the secret knowledge that people like my original work." Neal nodded.

"Is that all you'll be happy with?"

Neal looks back at the finished commission of a woman sitting under a tree, reading. He smiled, then shook his head. "Yes."

~*~

Neal comes across Peter hanging the painting. The office thinks he's crazy but Peter knows better than to disobey his Wife. Neal hands the painting up, caressing his signature as he does so. Peter looks pointed at the movement but doesn't say a thing. Neal acts as if Peter's look didn't just give the whole game away.

"I didn't take you for a Ryder Callum fan." Neal said conversationally.

"I had a change of heart." Peter replied.

Interesting. "Oh?" Neal went on to enquire.

"Had a late night talk with El, decide this Ryder fellow didn't produce half bad art after all. In fact, it's kind of....mysterious and puzzling." trying to say something nice about Neal's art style had taken him a couple hours to decide on but now that he said it, it is quite true. Neal smiles.

"I think so too." is all he said and then the conversation turned to a case. But the Ryder Callum art, of a man by a stream fishing, or dismembering a body depending whom one is asking - hung in Peter Burke's office until his retirement. And then in hung in the den. And maybe, over the years, their collection grew. And by the time Peter and Elizabeth lay side by side, each painting had a particular child or grand child or someone to go to and even though Neal was dead to the world.

Ryder Callum had a rather lucrative career; even if Mozzie never was able to find him.


End file.
